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Metal-Ligand Bonds

Metal-Ligand Bonds

The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...

Extraction: Advanced Methods

Extraction: Advanced Methods

Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...

Precipitation and Co-precipitation

Precipitation and Co-precipitation

Precipitation and coprecipitation methods can be used to separate a mixture of ions in a solution. In qualitative inorganic analysis, ions that form sparingly soluble precipitates with the same reagent are separated based on the differences in solubility products. For example, consider the separation of Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions by precipitation as insoluble sulfides. First, copper(II) sulfide is precipitated by the addition of acidic H2S, where the dissociation of H2S is suppressed. Adding H2S...

Colors and Magnetism

Colors and Magnetism

Color in Coordination Complexes
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...

Carbocations

Carbocations

Carbocations are one of the reaction intermediates formed during several nucleophilic substitutions or elimination reactions. A carbocation is an electron-deficient species with the central carbon atom having six electrons and three bonded atoms. The central carbon in a carbocation is sp2 hybridized with trigonal planar geometry. It has an empty p orbital perpendicular to the plane of the structure that can accept electrons. Thus, carbocations act as strong electrophiles and may react with any...

Properties of Organometallic Compounds

Properties of Organometallic Compounds

Organometallic compounds are compounds that contain a carbon–metal bond. Carbon belongs to an organyl group like alkyl, aryl, allyl, or benzyl groups. The metal can be from Group I or Group II of the periodic table, a transition metal, or a semimetal.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2025

Preparation of Expanded Chitin Foams and their Use in the Removal of Aqueous Copper

Preparation of Expanded Chitin Foams and their Use in the Removal of Aqueous Copper

Published on: February 27, 2021

Single-Atom Substituents in Copper Surfaces May Adsorb Multiple CO Molecules.

Magnus A H Christiansen¹, Alejandro Peña-Torres¹, Elvar Ö Jónsson¹

¹Science Institute and Faculty of Physical Sciences, U. of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

|May 20, 2024

Summary

This study reveals that multiple carbon monoxide (CO) molecules bind to transition metal catalysts used in CO2 electroreduction, impacting efficiency. Understanding these multi-molecule interactions is key to designing better catalysts.

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Preparation of Expanded Chitin Foams and their Use in the Removal of Aqueous Copper

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Electrochemistry
Computational Chemistry

Background:

Copper is a promising catalyst for carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction, but its efficiency and selectivity are limited.
Previous studies suggested using admixtures of other elements and computational screening based on single CO molecule adsorption.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the adsorption behavior of multiple CO molecules on transition metal-substituted copper surfaces.
To understand how first-row transition metals (Fe, Co, Ni, V, Cr, Mn) affect CO adsorption energetics and catalyst properties.

Main Methods:

Computational calculations of CO adsorption on surfaces with substitutional transition metal atoms.
Analysis of binding energies, magnetic moments, charge transfer, and atomic displacements.

Main Results:

Multiple CO molecules, not just one, bind to the substitutional transition metal atom.
Binding energy decreases for Fe, Co, and Ni, but increases for V, Cr, and Mn with successive CO adsorption.
CO adsorption significantly alters the magnetic moment, charge, and position of the substitutional atom, often reducing magnetic moment to zero and increasing outward displacement.

Conclusions:

The adsorption of multiple CO molecules is crucial for understanding CO2 electroreduction catalysis, challenging single-molecule descriptors.
Transition metal choice significantly influences CO binding strength and catalyst surface properties, offering pathways for catalyst design.